Automatic hen&#39;s nest.



J. E. DRAKE.

AUTOMATIC HENS NEST.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 29. 1916.

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Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

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J. E. DRAKE. AUTOMATIC ntu's NEST.

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J. E. DRAKE.

AUTOMATIC HENS NEST. APPLICATION man APR. 29. ms.

1,217,721: I Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

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AUTOMATIC HENS NEST.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1916. v

' Patented Feb; 27, 1917.

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entree mears PATENT oEFlJQ JOSEPH E. DRAKE, or BLUE EArIDs, KANSAS.

AUrroMA'rIo HENS NEST.

Application filed April 29,

Nests, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention relates to an automatic hens nest.

One of the principal objects of the .inven- 1 tion isto provide an improved automatic nest having entrance and exit runways and automatically operating means for maintaining one of them closed while the other is open, said means acting to prevent admission to the neXt through either runway while the nest is occupied. I a

Another object is to provide a device of the class described having a movable nest provided with a discharge opening, and having a movable series of egg receptacles'operable by movement of' the nest for presenting successive receptacles to the opening upon sucessive deposits of eggs in'the nest, means being provided for closing the .discharge opening during movement of the egg receptacles.

A further object of the invention contemplates the mounting of a nest-of the class described upon an inclined track. in such relation with a plurality of pens or coops that the nest will automatically operate as the fowls successively leave the nest, to move to successive pens, at the same time that the egg receiving pockets are successively prev sented to the nest, whereby the particular hens may be identified with the. particular a v a ings, the framework of the nest maybe eggs they have laid.

Still another object of the invention is to. provide an improved means for controlling V the operation of the receptacle disk. j

A still further object isto provide an improved nest of thechara'cter described which \vill'be comparatively simple, durable, eflicient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture. H

V lVith these and other objects in" view which will become apparent as the description proceeds, theinventionresides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and a m and i l t ated n the a Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Felt). 27, 1917.

1916. Seria1-No.94, 366. i

panying drawing, in" which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of'which Figure 1 represents a view inperspectiv'e of the framework of the nest including the control mechanism for the receptacle disk. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal view taken through the nest." V

Fig. 3 represents a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 8 3 of Fig. 2."

4: represents afragmentary horizontal s'ectionalview taken on the plane indicated by the line .4 f of Fig. 2. i

F ig. 5'represents a plan View of the rear portion of the running gear showing the egg receiving device. and the brake mecha- V Fig. 6 represents a fragmentary plan view showing the" brake mechanism in shifted position. 1 j

Fig. 7 represents a fragmentary plan view of the egg receiving mechanism showing the position of the parts when shifted into the positionfrom that shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 representsan elevational diagraminatieal view of. a traekway and coops in connection with which the nest is adapted to be utilized. I I

Fig. 9 represents a planview partly in section of the sam'e. V I r l Fig. 10 represents a transverse sectional View taken on the line 10" of Fig. .8 looking in thedirectio-n indicated byjthe arrows.

Fig. 11 represents a plangview of a modi- Q fi ed method of operating the-1 receptacle disk. r

Referring inoreparticularly to the drawframethe corner. uprights are connected bybars 10, and the central uprights S are connected at their upper ends by means of a bar 11. Bar 11 is connected to the bar 10 occurring at what might be termed the front end ofthe nest by means of a longitudinal central brace bar 12. Journalcd transversely of the frame in side bars 5 are the front and rear axles 13 and 14 respectively. A yoke member 15 depends from the frame, and extends transversely thereof about midway of the frame, being connected at its ends to side bars 12. Yoke 15 is in the form of a channel iron.

The frame for supporting the entrance and exit runways, is disposed in the forward end of the nest and includes side bars 16 connected at the forward end of the nest by a cross bar 17. Near their rear ends side bars 16 are each pivoted to the upper ends of links 18 which in turn are pivoted at their lower ends to brackets 19 secured to side bars 5 of the main frame midway their length. In this manner the runway frame is supported in the forward end of the nest in such manner that it may oscillate up and down therein. Near their pivoted ends side bars 16 are connected by a transverse bar 20.

As indicated in Fig. 3 the runway frame supports the entrance and exit runways 21 and 22 respectively. They are placed one on each side of the central longitudinal line of the frame and are each formed of a plate of metal bent down at its ends to provide flanges for engaging the transverse bars 17 and of the runway frame. The runways are separated by a partition 23 which is disposed in a vertical plane between them and is attached at its upper end to the longitudinal top bar 12, and is supported at its lower edge by a bracket 24 secured to the front end bar 6 of the main frame.

The nest frame is disposed in the rear end of the main framework, and includes side bars 25 connected at their front ends by a cross bar 26. A cross bar 28 connects side bars 25 of the nest frame near their rear ends. Side bars 25 are pivoted at their rear ends on a shaft 27 connecting the rear corner uprights 7 of the main framework. Side bars 25 of the nest frame near their forward ends are pivoted to the rear ends of side bar 16 of the runway frame, at the points 29. In this manner it will be seen that by depressing the nest frame, the runway frame will be raised and that by depressing the runway frame after the nest frame is depressed the latter will be raised.

The nest proper comprises a frame removably positioned upon the nest frame and interposed between and supported by side bars 25 and the bars 26 and 28 thereof. Frame 30 supports a plate 31 having a central opening from which a plurality of radially disposed tabs 32 depend. The latter are connected to a second plate 33 preferably made of metal and provided with a central opening 34. Plate 33, tabs 32 and plate 31 are preferably overlaid withone or more thicknesses of carpet or other suitable cloth indicated at 35, for forming a hollow or concaved nest. Cloth 35 also provided with an opening in registration with opening 34. The latter occurs in the middle of the nest and may be termed the discharge opening of the nest.

Thedischarge opening of the nest is controlled by a slide 36 guided on guide bars 37 extending longitudinally of the nest and supported by hangers 38 carried near the forward and rear ends respectively, of the nest frame and in a plane below the latter. The slide has a link 39 pivoted at one end thereon, and to the opposite upwardly offset end of the link is pivoted the inner end of a lever 40. Near its outer end this lever is pivoted at 41 to a frame 42 supported by the nest frame near one corner thereof' The outer end of lever projects slightly beyond one of the side bars 25 of the nest frame. and is provided with. an opening in which the rear hooked end 43 of an angular link 4-4 is engaged. The forward end of said link .is pivoted at 45 to an upright -36 carried by the adjacent side bar 16 of the runway framework and braced thereto by bar 47. The upright 46 is connected to said bar 16 at one of the points 39 at which the runway frame is pivoted to the nest frame. Through the medium of lever 40 link 44 and upright 46, the slide 36 will be shifted forwardly and under discharge opening 34 of the nest for closing the same, when the nest frame is depressed, and consequently the runway frame raised. When the runway frame is depressed and the nest frame raised the slide will be shifted rearwardly so as to uncover the discharge opening of the nest.

The transversely extending yoke 15 sup ports a receptacle disk 48 having a clownwardly offset horizontally extending peripheral-flange 49. Upon the latter are supported an annular series of egg receptacles 50 formed of wire netting, or of other suitable material for receiving the with out breaking the same. Motive power for the receptacle disk, is preferably in the form of a spiral spring 51 connected at its inner end to a winding key 52 upon which the disk is centrally journaled. The outer t .rminal of the spring is connected to a pin supported upon yoke 15 as indicated in l ig. 4. A suitable and ordinary type of ratchet and pawl mechanism (not shown) employed whereby the spring may be wound for placing the disk under tension, in the ordinary and well known manner. As indi cated in the drawings the spring 5]. occurs between disk 48 and yoke 15.

A spanner 54 having a depressed flattened central portion 55, extends across the main framework above yoke 15, and has its ends flattened and downturned as at 56 to slip into the upturned ends of the channel yoke 15, in the manner indicated clearly in Fig. l. Flattened portion of the spanner is provided with a central opening 57 through which the winding stem 52 projects, whereby the disk is pivotally supported upon the winding pin between the spanner and yoke 15. The disk is of such size, and is so disposed with relation to the nest proper, that as said disk rotates, the egg receptacles 50 carried thereby are successively presented beneath the discharge opening of the nest proper, fol-receiving the eggs from the nest in a manner to be hereinafter described.

The disk carries an inner and an outer concentric series of pins indicated at 58 and 59 respectively, the pins of the outer series being disposed in staggered relation with those of the inner series. A guide plate 60 having upturned edges 61 provided thereon to form a guide, is carried by the flattened portion of spanner The guide extends radially of disk 48, and a slide 62 adapted to reciprocate therein. The outer end of slide 62 is bowed upwardly at 63 and is then bent downwardly and outwardly at 6% to provide a detent. The length of the detent 6% is slightly greater than theradial distance between the inner and outer series of pins or stops. When the detent is in the 'position indicated in Fig. 5, itlies in the path of the outer series of pins. The tension of the spring is toturn the disk in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5. When the slide 62 is pushed toward the center of the disk, so that detent 64 is withdrawn from engagement with the outer pin, the disk will rotate until the next adjacent inner pin engages the detent 64 in the manner indicated in Fig. 7 so that the disk will have rotated a distance equal to the distance between two adjacent inner and outer pins, that is, a distance equal to one-half the distance between any two adjacent pins in the same series. When the slide is again moved outwardly the inner pin can pass through the bowed portion 63 of the detent and the disk will revolve until the next adjacent outer pin engages the detent 64, and so on.

The rotation of the disk is controlled automatically by the operation of the detent through the medium of a link 65, and an arm 66 connecting the said link with the lever 4-0, which operates the discharge opening slide. Said link is pivoted at its inner end upon one end of a link 67 which is pivoted at its other end at 68 to the slide 62. The outer end of link 65 is pivoted to a brace or plate 69 carried by spanner 54. Arm 66 at one end is pivotally connected to link 65 at the central portion thereof, the other end of arm 66 being hooked into an opening in lever 40 near the pivot point all thereof.

'When the parts are assembled the weight of the nest frame and nest proper, nearly but not quite balances the weight of the runway frame and parts carried thereby. Upon the entrance of a fowl to the nest, the latter 7 distance apart of two adjacent staggered pins. At the same time the slide 36 is moved forwardly to close the discharge opening of the nest. After the fowl-has laid an egg and steps upon the runway, the latter is de pressed whereby the nest is raised. This action causes the movement of the detent back from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 5, thus again allowing the ro tation of the disk a. distance equal to the distance between two staggered pins. Thus upon the depression of and upward movement of the nest the disk is allowed to move the entire distance equal to the distance between two ad acent pins in the outer series.

The egg receptacles 50 are so arranged that this double movement allows one of them to move from under the discharge opening and the next receptacle to'move into alinement' As the nest rises the with said opening. slide 36 is again moved rearwardly soas to open the discharge opening in the nest, and thus allow the egg contained in said nest to drop through said opening into the said subsequent receiver. 1 The path of movement of the slide ismuch greater than the path of movement of the detent, so that the latter has released the disk for its second movement before the slide has uncovered the opening enough to allow the passage of the adapted to be actuated by the runway for controlling the entrance to and exit from the nest, and for preventing the entrance of a fowl to the nest while the-same is occupied. This means takes the form of an entrance and exitgate 7 0 and 71 respectively,

which are set substantially at right angles to each other upon a shaft 7 2 journaledin the central uprights .8 near the upper ends of the latter. The gates are braced apartby a bar 7 3, which maintains them in their respective relative positions, andwhich is pivoted to the rear end of a link 7a. The forward end of said link is'pivoted at 5 to a bracket 7 6 carried by the'frontcross bar 17 of the runway frame. The relative positions of thegates when the nest is unoccupied is indicated in Fig. 2. It will be seen that the gate controlling the entrance runway 21 is in raised position, while that controlling the exit runway 22 is in lowered or closed position, so that entrance to the.- nest may be had only over the entrance runway. This runway is accessible through an opening i11- dicated generally at 77 left in the wire screening 78 which covers the top and sides of the main framework of the device. Upon a fowl entering through this opening 77 and moving upon the nest the latter will be depressed thus raising. the runway frame. This action causes the rotation of shaft 72 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, whereby the entrance gate is closed and exit gate 71 is open. Thus upon the fowl leaving the nest it must necessarily pass under gate 71 onto the exit platform 72. At this time the weight having been transferred from the nest to the platform the latter will descend thus again moving the gates into the position shown in Fig. 2 so as to compel. the exit of the fowl from the nest through the exit opening indicated gen orally at 7 .8 on the opposite side of the nest from the entrance opening 77. The partition 33 will prevent the movement of the fowl from one platform to the other while entering or leaving the nest.

Secured transversely of slide 36 between the guide bars 37, and at the forward end of said slide is a clip 79. The latter removably maintains a finger 80, which at its forward end is curved upwardly at 87 to extend through the discharge opening 34. A metallic leaf 82 is hingedly connected at 83 to the upturned portion 81. Leaf 82 is substantially arcuate in formation, and is of a curvature substantially equal to the curva ture of the inside of the nest proper. Leaf 82 is covered with a strip of carpet or other suitable material 84, and to the latter is glued or otherwise secured an imitation nest egg 85. The length of the leaf 82 is slightly greater than the diameter of opening 34. When the nestis depressed the leaf together with the egg supported thereby is carried forward, to substantially close the exit opening 34- or more properly speaking to bring the egg into the middle of the nest. WVhen this is done the end of leaf 82 somewhat overhangs the edge of opening 3% so that upon upwardmovement of the nest the egg will be drawn back into the position indicated in Fig. 2 without danger of the leaf engaging with the material of which the nest is made.

The automatic nest which I have above described is adapted to be utilized in connection with a slightly inclined trackway 86, and a plurality of coops or pens 87 in the manner indicated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. Keyed upon the front and rear axles 13 and 14 respectively of the nest, are front and rear flanged wheels 88 and 89 respectively. The Coops or pens 87 are arranged alongside the track, in such manner that upon a fowl leaving the nest it must necessarily enter one of the coops. The latter are provided with swinging doors 90 as indicated in Fig. 10, which allow the entrance of the fowl into the coop but will prevent exit of the fowl from said coop by reason of the doors being allowed to swing only inwardly. Strips 91 are placed in front of the doors to prevent their outward movement.

The nest is placed upon the inclined track at the top thereof, and through means controllable by the actuation of the nest proper by a fowl, and which will be hereinafter de scribed, is adapted to intermittently move from one pen or coop to the next subsequent one, upon exit of the fowls from the nest. By this arrangement the hens may be identilied with the eggs which they have laid, in the following manner. The egg receptacles carried by the disk are numbered, consccir tively as are also the coops 87, whereby a hen having laid an egg in number 1 receptacle upon leaving the nest must enter number 1 coop, and a hen having laid an in number 2 receptacle must enter number 2 coop, and so on. Thus it will be known that the eggs contained in the various receptacles have been laid by the hens in the respective corresponding coops.

The nest moves down the track by the action of gravity, and the mechanism which controls the movement of said nest is actuated substantially in the same manneas the disk control mechanism, and includes angular link 92 substantially similar to link ll and situated on the opposite side of the nest from said link. Link 92 is pivoted at 93 to an upright 94 carried by one of the side bars 16 of the runway frame, and on v the opposite side thereof from the upright 46. The lower end of link 92 is pivoted at 95 to an upwardly extending flange carried by a slidable locking plate 96. The latter is slidably positioned. upon a right angular i l bracket 97 carried by the main framework, and providing a rectangular opening 98 for the reception of a disk-99 carried upon rear axle 14. A clip 108 carried by the adjacent side bar 5 serves to partially guide the locking plate 96.

Disk 99 carries a pair of stop rollers A. and B on its opposite sides. The rollers of each pair are diametrically opposed to each other, and the pair on one side of the disk is placed in a line substantially at right angles to the line in which the pair on the opposite side of the disk lie. The plate 96 includes a portion 100 overlying the adjacent longitudinal side bar 5 of the main frame. This bar is provided with a recess indicated at 101 through which the set of rollers B may revolve. The plate is also provided with a recess somewhat shorter than the recess 101, leaving shoulders 102 and 103 near the front and rear ends of portion of said plate. As the plate is moved rearwardly, coincident with the low-- ering of the nest proper, shoulder 10:2 moves over the front end" of opening 1.01, while shoulder 103 leaves the rear end of the opening over which it has been lying. The plate is then in the position indicated in Fig. 6 having moved from the position indicated in Fig. This action moves the shoulder 103 out of engagement with the roller 10% of pair B, thus releasing the rear axle and allowing the nest to move forwardly until the roller 105 ofpair comes into engage ment with the shoulder 106 formed on plate 96, thus stopping-the movement of the nest. During this movement the nest proper is occupied by the hen, and as soon as the fowl leaves the nest and steps upon the exit runway, plate 96 is again moved forwardly into the position indicated in Fig; 5 thus withdrawing the shoulder 100 from engagement with roller 105 and again allowing the nest to move forwardly until the opposite roller 10'? of pair B has moved around into engagement with the shoulder 103. Thus when the nest is depressed the rear shaft is released and rotates a quarter of a revolution when it stops until upon the nest moving upwardly the shaft is again releasedand I rotates another quarter of a revolution at which time it stops. The'diameter of the wheels is so regulated with regard to the distance apart of the coops 87, that a onehalf revolution will allow the nest to move from one coop 87 to the next succeeding coop. It will be seen therefore that when the fowl enters the nest will travel only one-half the distance between the two coops and when the fowl leaves the nest proper it will travel the remaining one-half distance between the two coops so that every fowl which leaves the nestwill enter a separate coop or pen.

In Fig. 11 I have shown another method of operating the receptacle disk. This method contemplates the provision of a bevel gear 109 carried concentrically on disk 48, and which is adapted to be driven by means of a counter-shaft 110 provided with a beveled gear 111 meshing with gear 109. The counter-shaft may be driven from rear axle ll by means of a sprocket chain 112. This method will do away with the nest frame operated control mechanism of the disk, the rotation of the (llSk being con-- trolled by the brake mechanism indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, the parts being so'proportioned that upon the rotation of the rear axle a one-half revolution, the disk 48 will have been rotated far enough to have moved one of the receptacles out of alinement with the discharge opening of the nest and the next adjacent egg receptacle into alinement with said opening, said movement be with the two movements of the nest for completing a; onehalf rotation of the rear axle as will be readily understood Although I have described, the preferred embodiment of my invention, I may desire to make such changes in the construction,

' combination and arrangement of parts thereof as donot departfrom the spirit of.

the invention "and the scope of the appended claims.

1. An automatic nest comprisinga main framework, a movable runway platform pivotallysupported near its rear end 'uponsaid framework and being disposed in one end of the framework, a nest platform pivotally connected near one endto the runway platform, and being pivotallyconnected at its opposite end to the main framework, an en-' trance and an exlt runway carried by the runway platform a partition disposedbetween the runways, a shaft carried by the mam frame work abovethe runway platform, an entrance door and an exit door carried by the shaft substantially at rightangles to each other,,a bar connecting said,

doors, and a link pivotally connected atone end tosald bar and at its oppositeend to said runway platform, one of therunways being open while the other is closed, the exit door being open while the runway 1s raised. 2. A device of the class described comprising a framework havinga nest in one endthereof, a runway platform disposed inthe opposite end of the framework and pivotally connected to said framework, said platform being provided with an entrance and exit runway, a pair of doors disposed sub- 7 stantially at right angles to each other and pivotally supported above the platform and adapted to control the runways, and means operable by the platform for rotating the doors whereby to reverse the relative positions of the doors when the platform is raisedfrom the position of'the doors when the platform is in lowered position. Y

3. A device of the class described comprising a main framework, a movable runway framework, links pivotally connected to the main framework, and pivotally supporting the runway framework, a movable nest frame to which the runway framework is pivotally connected, runway platforms disposed in spaced relation upon the runway framework, a stationary partition disposed between said platforms, a. shaft disposed above the runway framework, a pair of doors carried by said shaft and secured substantially at right:

angles toeach other, said runwayplatform adapted to be raised when the nest frame is lowered, one of the runways being open when the runway platform is lowered,- and the opposite runway beingclosed, and means connecting the runway platform and doors for operating the latter whereby the position of the doors is reversed when the runway platform is raised.

A device of the class described comprising a main framework, a nest frame pivotally connected with the main framework, a nest supported on the frame and provided with a discharge opening, a guide-way supported by the nest frame, a slide movable on said guide into and out of registration with the discharge opening of the nest, a lever pivotally supported beneath the nest frame and having a link connection with the slide, a runway platform pivotally supported above the main platform, said nest frame being pivotally connected to said runway platform, a standard carried by the runway platform, and a link pivotally connected to the standard and to said lever, said runway platform adapted to be raised when the nest platform is lowered, whereby to move said slide into registration with the discharge cpening of the nest, upon the lowering of the latter, and to move said slide out of registration with the discharge opening of the nest upon upward movement of the latter.

5. A device of the class described including a movable nest having a discharge opening, said nest adapted to be actuated upon the movement of a fowl thereupon, a movable slide disposed relatively to the nest and normally out of alinement with the discharge opening of the nest, and operating means for moving said slide into registration with the discharge opening when the nest is actuated.

6. A device of the class described comprising a main framework, a yoke carried thereby, a receptacle disk pivotally supported upon said yoke, means for maintaining said disk under tension, a spanner extending across said disk,-a guide supported by the spanner, a detent slidably maintained in said guide, a plate carried by the spanner, a link operably connecting the plate and detent, an arm connected at one end to said link, a lever to which the opposite end of said arm is connected, a movable nest, means associated with the nest and lever for operating the latter in one direction when the former is lowered and in an opposite direction when the former is raised, a series, of receptacles carried by said disk, a pair of concentric series of stop pins disposed in staggered relation upon said disk, and adapted to be alternately released upon actuation of the detent in opposite directions, said nest provided with a discharge opening in registration with which said receptacles are adapted to be successively moved upon a double actuation of the disk, and a slide operable by said lever and adapted to close the discharge opening when the nest is lowered and open said discharge opening when the nest is raised.

7. A device of the class described, including a movable nest having a discharge opening, a spring tensioned disk rotatably mounted under the nest and provided with a plurality of receptacles successively movable into registration with the discharge opening as the disks rotate, stop means carried by the disks and means operable by the nest coacting with the stop means for bringing successive receptacles in registration with said discharge opening upon successive occupations of the nest, means for controlling the discharge opening, and means for operating the .said controlling means whereby to successively uncover the opening upon movement .into registration therewith of successive receptacles.

8. A device of the class described including a nest having a discharge opening, a slide movable into and out of registration with said opening, a finger detachably carried by said slide and having an upturned portion extending through the opening, a

leaf hinge connected to said upturned por-' tion, said leaf being substantially of a greater length than the diameter of the opening, and an imitation nest egg supported upon said leaf, said egg adapted to be moved toward the opening as said slide is moved into registration therewith.

9. A device of the class described, includ ing a nest having a discharge opening, a slide arranged beneath the nest movable into and out of registration with the opening, a finger mounted on the slide having a portion extending through the said opening, and means operable by the finger movable into position for closing and opening the said discharge opening as the slide is moved respectively into and out of registration therewith.

10. A device of the classdescribed including a movable nest having a discharge opening, series of egg receptacles, means under ten sion for supporting the receptacles in such manner that they may be moved into registration with said discharge opening, a slide adapted to be brought into and moved out of registration with the discharge opening, and means operable bv the nest for alternately moving said slide into and out of registration with the opening and fo allowing said receptacles to be successively brought into registration with said opening, as the slide is moved out of registration therewith. g

11. A device of the class described including a movable nest having a discharge opening, a movable platform operably connected with the nest and provided with entrance and exit means for the nest, means operable by the platform for controllin the entrance and exit means, an egg receiving device including a series of receptacles, and step by step mechanism operably connected with the nest and platform for successively bringing said receptacles into registration with the discharge opening of the nest.

12. A device of the class described including a movable nest having a discharge opening, a disk disposed relatively to said nest,

means for driving the disk, a series of eggreceptacles disposed upon said disk in position to be brought into registration with the discharge opening as the disk revolves, a plate supported relatively to said disk and provided with guide means, a detent slidably disposed on said plate, a plurality of concentric series of stop'pins disposed in staggered relation upon said disk, a link pivotally connected to said detent, .a plate supported relatively to the disk, :1 link pivotally connected to said plate and to first said link, an arm pivotally connected to second said link, and means operably connected to said arm'for reciprocating the latter as the nest is raised and lowered whereby to allow said receptacles to move step by step into registration with the discharge opening of the nest.

13. A device of the class described including a movable nest having a discharge opening,'a disk disposed relatively to said nest, means for driving the disk, a series of egg receptacles disposed upon said disk in position to be brought into registration with the discharge opening as the disk revolves, a plate supported relatively to said disk and provided with guide means, a detent slidabiy disposed in said plate, a plurality of concentric series of stop pins disposed in staggered relation upon said disk, a link pivotally connected to said detent, a plate supported relatively to the disk, a link pivotally connected to said plate and to first said link, an arm pivotally connected to second said link, a pivoted lever having connections with said arm, a platform to which said nest is hingedly connected, an upright carried by said platform, and a third link connecting said lever and upright, whereby said detent will be rcclprocated as the nest 1s moved for bringing the receptacles step 'by step into registration with the discharge opening of the nest.

14. A device of the class described including a nest provided with a discharge opening, a movable platform pivotally connected with said nest, a lever pivotally supported relatively to the nest, a link connected with the lever and with said platform, a slide operably connected with said lever, an egg receiving device including a plurality of receptacles, and means operably connected with said lever whereby to allow movementof said receptacles step by step into successive registration with the discharge opening of the nest and to simultaneously move said slide into and out of registration with the discharge opening,

egg receiving device disposed relatively to V the nest, a discharge opening control device disposed relatively to said nest, and means operably connected to the nest and platform for simultaneously operating the egg receiving device and the discharge opening control device, substantially as described. p

16. A device of the class described including a pivotally supported nest provided with a discharge opening and adapted to be moved downwardly by the Weight of a fowl, a pivotally supported runway platform, said platform being pivotally connected to said nest, said platform including an entrance and exit runways, doors for controlling the entrance and exit runways, means operably connecting said doors and platform whereby the former may be operated when the platform is moved, said platform when in lowered position adapted to allow entrance into the nest over said entrance runway, said nest when lowered adapted to raise the platform whereby to prevent access to the entrance runway and to shift said doors whereby to open the exit runway, substantially as described.

17. A device of the class described com-.

prising a main frame provided with a running gear and adapted to be mounted upon an inclined track, said running gear including an axle provided with track wheels fixed on said axles, a disk fixed on the axle near one portion of the framework, a bracket carried by the framework adjacent the disk, a plurality of stop rollers carried on opposite sides of said disk, a locking plate slidably disposed upon said bracket and provided wlth means adapted to be alternately moved into and out of the path of the stop rollers, a nest hingedly connected with said framework, a platform hingedly connected to the nest, an upright carried by the platform,

and a link connecting said upright and with meansfor alternately engaging and disengaging said stop rollers as the plate is reciprocated, a movable nest supported upon the framework, and means operable upon movement of said nest for oscillating said locking plate.

19. A device of the class described including a framework provided with a run ning gear and adapted to be mounted upon an inclined track, a movable nest connected with said framework and provided vith a discharge opening, a platform ope ably connected with the nest and adapted to con trol the exit from and entrance to said nest, a movable receiving device including a series of eg receptacles adapted to move into registration with said dis charge opening, a discharge opening control means, means operably connected with the nest and platform and adapted to operate said egg receiving device for moving the egg receptacles step by step into registration with the discharge opening of the nest, means operably connected to the nest and platform for operating said discharge opening control means for alternately closing and opening the discharge opening, and for opening the discharge opening when one of the receptacles is in registration therewith, and cooperating means between the platform and running gear for intermittently releasing the latter whereby to allow periodical movement of the main framework along said trackway.

20. A device of the class described including an inclined trackway, a plurality of coops disposed along one side of said trackway, a main framework provided with a running gear adapted to move along upon said trackway, a movable nest provided with a discharge opening and operably connected to said main framework, a runway platform operably connected to the main framework and to said nest, and adapted when said nest is in raised position to allow entrance to the same only on the opposite side of the framework from the coops, and when said nest is lowered to allow exit therefrom 'only on the side of said framework adjacent the coops, said nest adapted to be lowered upon entrance of a fowl thereto and adapted to be raised on exit of the fowl therefrom, coacting means between the runway platform and running gear for intermittently releasing the latter upon movement of the nest, whereby to allow movement of said frame along said runway from one coop to the next adjacent coop upon the lowering and raising of s: id nest, an egg receiving device including a plurality of egg receiving receptacles adapted to be moved into registration with the discharge opening of the nest, means for driving said egg receiving device, means operable upon movementsof the nest for allowing the movement of successive egg receptacles into registration with the discharge opening of the nest as the nest is raised, a discharge opening control means normally out of registration with said discharge opening, and means operable upon downwardmovement of the nest for moving said discharge opening control means into registration with the discharge opening.

21. A device of the class described including an inclined trackway, a plurality of coops disposed along one side of the trackway, a nest disposed upon the trackway and movable along the same, a nest proper associated with the nest and provided with a discharge opening, means for allowing entrance of a fowl to the nest, and exit of the fowl from the nest only into one of said coops, means for allowing movement of the nest along said trackway from one coop to the next successive coop during the occupancy of the nest by a fowl, an egg receiving device including a plurality of receptacles, means for successively bringing the receptacles into registration with the discharge opening upon successive occupations of the nest, and discharge opening control means movable into and out of registration with said discharge opening, said control means adapted to be moved out of registration with said opening upon movement of an egg receptacle into registration with the opening.

22. A device of the class described including an inclined trackway, a plurality of coops disposed along one side of the trackway, a nest disposed upon the trackway and movable along the same, a nest proper associated with the nest and provided with a discharge opening, means for allowing trance of a fowl to the nest, and exit of the fowl from the nest only into one of said coops, means for allowing movement of the nest along said trackway from one coop to the next successive coop during the occupancy of the nest by a fowl, an egg receiving device including a plurality of receptacles, and means for successively l'n'inging the re ceptacles into registration with the discharge opening upon successive occupations of the nest.

23. A device of the class described including an inclined track, a plurality of coops disposed along one side of said track, a nest disposed on the track and adapted to be intermittently moved along the same upon entrance to and exit of a fowl from the nest, said nest adapted to reach successive coops upon exit of the fowls from the nest, whereby to allow the entrance of the successive fowls into successive coops, means for allowing the occupancy of the nest by but one fowl at a time, and means adapted to successively receive the eggs laid in the nest whereby the fowls in the various coops may be identlfied with the eggs which they have laid.

2 1-. The combination with a track having a plurality of coops arranged adjacent thereto, of a nest movable along the track and having exit means only to the coops, means for controlling the movements of the nest whereby it will move to successive coops upon successive occupations of the nest, and means for successively receiving eggs laid in the nest whereby the eggs may be identified with the fowls occupying the'coops.

25. A device of the class described comprising a movable nest having a discharge opening, a plurality of egg receivers con- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner Washington, D. O.

trollable by movements of the nest for successively and separately receiving eggs laid in said nest, and adapted to be successively moved into registration with the discharge opening and means for controlling the discharge opening and adapted to open the same upon movement of one of the receptacles into registration with the discharge opening.

JOSEPH E. DRAKE.

Witnesses:

PAUL E. DRAKE, C. D. SMITH.

of Patents, 

